eCommerce sites are often a large project and rightly so, eCommerce enabled sites are the easiest way to generate online revenue with minimal overheads. Unfortunately, the delivery of both small or large eCommerce enabled sites is fundamentally compromised by missing the most basic of both Search Engine Optimisation and User Experience best practice. So here’s our guide to getting the basics right. Following even these basic requirements could fundamentally change your online return on investment. Out of all pages on an eCommerce site, the product display page (PDP) is one of the most important.
You can download the full PDF of the guide here.
1. Product Page URL
Let us start with the most important aspect, the URL and format of the URL. Remember the page URL is like the Chapter and Page Title in a book, without a logical well laid out title, how do you expect Google or consumers to discover the content that you are trying to promote, so make sure these basics are in place:
- What Category does the product belong to, if it’s a Kitchen Spoon, it would likely be Kitchen Utensils? Make sure this is the first part of the URL after the domain name, wherever possible
- After the Category, ideally, you want to give a product friendly name, so in the case of a Kitchen Spoon, if the product is called “Splendor Spoon” it may be wise to call it: brandx.com/kitchen-utensils/kichen-splendor-spoon/
2. Add or View Cart
The most simple yet overlooked requirement. Make the top navigation simple for mobile display. Let people tap on the car to view and administer their cart. Don’t try and complicate the cart experience on the page. Also, make sure you have a little marker above the cart to count the number of items added, so a user can see any selected item has been added successfully, without need to go and check and interrupt the user shopping experience.
3. Friendly Product Name
Very much the same issue as described in Point 1. Just because you have an image of a Kitchen Spoon, does not mean Google or a Search Spider will be able to quickly tell what the item is on the page. Make it easy for Google and Users, simply say what the product is. Ideally do this in a <H1>, simply an instruction in the code to say this is the primary on-page heading for that page. If in doubt, ask your developer, if they look blank, maybe consider a new developer 😉
4. SEO Headline Two (H2)
See point 3. Exactly the same logic, but a secondary heading classification. Say your primary heading was: Splendor Kitchen Spoon, it may be useful to use the <H2> to give Google more signals, for example, Kitchen Desert Spoon.
5. Add to Cart Call to Action
Again a fundamental that is often made too complicated. ADD TO CART means er, add to cart, so keep it simple and say what any given button does. Make sure it’s large on mobile for finger tapping. Ensure the button is a standout color, bright green is often the best performing call to action button color, but just make sure it stands out from your page corporate identity. Sometimes you may need to introduce a new standout color specifically for this purpose, don’t be too precious about your brand CI, you want sales right?
6. Product Short Description
Shoppers need to know what the item is, even if they recognize the image, you need to invoke trust that it’s the right items before people will part with their hard-earned cash. In addition to this from a User Experience point of view, you also need to tell Google a bit about the product you are trying to sell. What type of spoon is it? Is it dishwasher safe? Is it a single item or part of a multipack? and so on.
7. Product Features & Benefits
Most users want a quick bullet point list of product features and benefits. Some people will be too lazy to wander there eye over the short description, so make it easy for people in bite-size chunks. If the list is long, then just add a read more button to reveal the war and peace version.
8. Payment Options
People want to know what the options are before adding an item to a cart, so just tell them.
9. Visual Trust
Again, don’t assume people will read the text, add visual markers to invoke trust. Like the payment option card logos and importantly a statement and icon that confirms that your site is trusted & encrypted.
10. Transparent Shipping Policy & 11. Returns Policy
The very nature of eCommerce shopping is that things can go wrong and especially when the customer has not physically handled the item before purchase. So just be transparent. What is the return procedure and policy? Re-assure customers before they have to experience any such process, don’t do it after the event.
12. Testimonials & Reviews
Visual testimonials and reviews (despite what you may think) do add a feeling of trust in your brand and its customer service. Never fake it, but do show reviews and testimonials that are genuine.
13. Allow People to Chat
Despite you thinking an eCommerce website should give the customer everything they need to transact, it’s often not the case. Allow people to chat with you. Yes, it requires resources, but would you have a physical store with no staff?
If you need, advice on any aspect of your eCommerce project. Contact Us for advice or guidance.
Article Author : Simon Lloyd
